Overview

Super Roof Wall is a rock formation in the Steve Canyon area of Joshua Tree National Park, California.

Super Roof is located within walking distance of Hidden Valley Campground. This is a crowded neighborhood with famous and popular formations such as Intersection Rock, Old Woman and The Blob to name a few. Most people are busy moving from to climb to climb that they just don’t bother to really take in the views offered from this vantage point. For example you may have never seen the west face of The Blob. You get the best view of that on your approach to the mouth of Steve Canyon. You also get a bird’s eye view of the mighty Intersection Rock from the base of Super Roof. It’s a good idea to scramble to the top of Steve Canyon to a notch where you get a view of the back side of Hidden Valley Campground and a large portion of an area known as The Outback.

Super Roof Wall is named after its most famous route Super Roof, rated 5.9, is the impressive overhang half way up the wall itself. When you scramble up the steep and narrow Steve Canyon you get to pass by a number of famous routes such as Sidewinder to your right, The Orc to your left and Grain Surgery directly across from your main objective, Super Roof. By the time you reach the top of this short and rocky canyon, you are treated to the view of one of the most impressive overhangs in all of Joshua Tree. This is Super Roof.

Super Roof, 5.9

left side of Super Roof Wall

View of Intersection Rock from the base of Super Roof

Right side of Super Roof Wall

Super Roof Wall’s most prominent feature is a crack that splits the entire formation in half. As difficult as it may seem from a distance, this crack is rated 5.9. At first glance, you may be baffled by the low rating of only 5.9, but rest your mind, this climb is really not that hard, if you do everything right. The most important thing to remember is to not get freaked out when you get under the overhang. I have seen people put a big piece under the overhang, but they fail to put a long sling in it. This results in the rope getting jammed between the protection piece and the side of the crack making progress after turning the lip extremely difficult. The crack itself is wide, but as soon as you turn the lip of the overhang it becomes solid hand size which continues to the top.

After you have successfully warmed up on Super Roof, you may want to either top rope or lead the climb to the left it. This overhanging climb is Let’s Get Horizontal, rated 11b, and now, after many years of being only a top rope problem, is bolted.
And, if that does not satisfy your arms into submission, you can try the scary overhanging off-width crack to the right of Super Roof. This is Comfortably Numb, rated 11c. Make sure to pack some really big pieces, at least 5 inches.

View of the portion of The Outback

To get to Super Roof Wall drive 8.3 miles on Park Boulevard to a turnout about quarter of a mile before reaching Intersection Rock parking lot. Looking on the opposite side of the road, in the northeasterly direction, you will see Watanobe Wall and another blobby formation, Sidewinder. Steve Canyon is in between those two formations. Steve Canyon is a bit steep and rocky. Scramble up on the rocks on the left side of the canyon to the highest formation to your left. You cannot miss Super Roof.

Environmental Concerns, Camping, Noise Considerations

Typical Joshua Tree landscape

Desert Flowers

Please tread lightly. The Access Fund has gone to great lengths posting trail marker for approaches to many of the more popular crags. Do your best to stay on these trails, and where you are forced to use a different path, choose the ones that rain can mend in time. Drainages make for good trails where there are no established trails.
Avoid stepping on native and fragile plants, and do not feed the coyotes. Coyotes are very much used to people and often hang around picnic areas and camp grounds in hopes of getting a hand out. It’s better to let them live their natural life.

Camping

protecting native plants

There are nine campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park. At the entrance to the park you are always asked if you would care to have a map and a brochure. The brochure will have plenty of information on the campgrounds and the map will guide you to many of the pleasant hikes throughout the park. You may even get the latest information as to availability of campsites. During the peak season (mid winter through spring) finding a campsite may become a major task. It is highly recommended to use the following link to get more information in advance.

When you are camping with friends and sitting around the fire, it is easy to forget that there are other people trying to sleep in the nearby campsites. It is important to put yourself in their shoes. Keep the noise and music to a minimum and certainly not too much past 10 p.m. Your neighbors will smile at you in the morning instead of giving you dirty looks.

Food and Fees

My wife and I have had Thai food in many different restaurants and cities. This Thai place beats them all. In November when the number of visitors to Joshua Tree reaches its peak, this restaurant puts on a Thai buffet, all you can eat for 10.95$/person. But, you must get there early, or be prepared to wait by the door for a table. The latest information indicates that the buffet style will be terminated by the end of February and will resume in November of 2010.

Images

"Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes."
--Henry David Thoreau